One of the most important stats in all of golf is how many greens a golfer can hit in regulation.
I believe the two most important stats to lower your handicap, your scores and to get close to scratch are Greens In Regulation (GIR) and Scrambling around the greens.
What Does Greens in Regulation Mean in Golf?
Hitting in a green in regulation is defined as hitting a par 3 in 1 shot, a par 4 in 2 shots and a par 5 in 3 shots. Greens in regulation will typically be counted as a number such as 11 out of 18. The best golfers hit on average 12 greens in regulation.
In our post on how to become a scratch golfer, I shared the key stats for a golfer becoming a scratch golfer.
The one number that jumps out from the chart below are the greens in regulation, which is 67% percent or 12 greens out 18. Of course this is an average and there will be rounds when a golfer might hit close to 18 or as little as 6 to 7 greens in regulation.
| Greens in Regulation | 67% |
| Fairways Hit | 53% |
| Putts Per Hole | 1.67 |
| Scrambling | 54% |
| Sand Saves | 59% |
| Average Driving Distance | 251 |
The other number that is vital is the scrambling rate of 54%. This is the number of time when a golfer misses a green in regulation, but is able to “scramble” to make a par. This often means hitting a chip shot on the green and one putting.
These two numbers when combined as a strength can lead to some low scores. Let’s look at a potential round of golf.
Golfer A
- Hits 12 greens in regulation
- Saves par 2 out of 6 times (33% scrambling)
- Makes 1 birdie putt out of the 12 attempts
- Final score = 3 over par
Golfer B
- Hits 9 greens in regulation
- Saves par 6 out of 9 times (66% scrambling)
- Makes 1 birdie putt out of 9 attempts
- Final score = 2 over
The best golfers are able to strike the ball and hit plenty of greens in regulation and then save par when they don’t hit their green at a 54% or higher clip.
5 Tips To Hit More Greens in Regulation
- Hit more fairways with your driver
- Aim at a conservative spot on the green
- Develop a stock shot
- Know your distances
- Have realistic expectations
Tip #1: Hit more fairways with your driver
If you are playing from the trees all day, you will struggle to hit greens in regulation.
Most golfers will hit between 12 and 14 drivers per round. Of those 12 to 14 greens, you want to be able to have a full swing with no tree restrictions or bunker barriers on at least 90% of your swings.
While you might only hit around 50% of the fairways, keeping the ball in play and away from the trees, hazards and out of bounds markers will be key to hitting more greens in regulation.
Tip #2: Aim at a conversative spot on the green
Most greens will have at least one bunker or some sort of barrier short or long. The key is to select the right club and right shot for the situation that you are faced with. If there is a bunker short, make sure you take enough club to carry it. If there is a bunker left, aim to the right side of the green and hit a slight draw.
The key here is to have a plan for each shot, select the right club and commit to it. If you stand there all day looking at the bad stuff, you will get distracted and not be committed to the shot.
You would rather be putting from 30-40 feet, vs hitting a shot out of bunker or if you have short sided yourself.
Tip #3: Develop a stock shot
While some golfers prefer to work the ball both ways, I would recommend a stock shot with the irons. This is a reliable shot pattern you can count with the most difficult shots you will face. If you know that 8 out of 10 times you can hit a push draw, this will give you confidence and allow you to play to the right spots.
Here is a wonderful drill you can use to build a stock shot:
- At the driving range, set up an alignment stick about 6-8 yards in front of you, straight down your target line.
- If you have a second alignment stick, set the stick 3-4 yards right of the first stick (for a draw) or left of the first stick (for a fade).
- Complete your initial assessment see how many times out of 10 you can start the ball to the right or left of your target. Pick one side and measure your game at this point.
- The goal is to eventually get 7 out of 10 shots to start to the correct side and draw back towards the target.
//www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i0DBchRnao&t=79s
Tip #4: Know your distances
There is nothing worse than standing over a 150 yard shot from the fairway, hitting it perfect, only to see it come up short in a bunker. Or the opposite and you hit it over the green into a hazard. Knowing your distances in golf is essential to take your game to the next level.
Of course there are variables such as the wind, uphill or downhill and the lie you are faced with. Overall, the key is to know what you carry a stock shot with each club in your bag and have a chart.
Here is an example distance chart that I created for my game:
| Club | Carry Distance (100%) | 90% | 80% |
| 2 Utility Iron | 210 | ||
| 4 iron | 190 | ||
| 5 iron | 181 | ||
| 6 iron | 171 | ||
| 7 iron | 163 | ||
| 8 iron | 153 | ||
| 9 iron | 143 | ||
| P Club | 130 | 123 | 115 |
| Pitching Wedge | 118 | 110 | 102 |
| SW Club | 105 | 97 | 91 |
| LW Club | 90 | 82 | 74 |
I built this using my SkyTrak Golf Launch Monitor. These amazing device has been a game changer for me. I am able to not only map my bag, but also get the following data after every shot:
- Carry and Total Distance
- Spin Rate
- Launch Angle
- Spin Axis
- Ball Speed
There are some affordable options for the amateur on the market today. I was able to build a full out golf simulator, but these launch monitors can be used at the range or course, in a garage with a mat or net or a full out similar build. Playing golf 365 days a year has been amazing!
Check out some affordable options below.
Here are the top 3 options to check out:
- SkyTrak Launch Monitor
- FlightScope Mevo+ Launch Monitor
- Mevo Launch Monitor
This technology is a game changer as the golfer can build a stock shot using the information while expanding a golf season where the golfer can practice 365 days a year. Whether the golfer goes all out and builds a home simulator or simply sets up a net and mat in their garage, the possibility of improving the swing and being able to practice or play 365 days a year is a game changer!
Tip #5: Have realistic expectations
One of the keys to golf is having realistic expectations. Did you know that the average distance from the hole from 100 yards on the PGA Tour is 18 feet? How many amateurs do you know that expect to hit these shots to 5 feet every time? I know I play with plenty!
Or that the average in Greens in Regulation on the PGA Tour from between 150 and 175 yards is 63%
The main message here is to play to the fat part of the green, have realistic expectations and stay within yourself. If you miss the green, have confidence in your short game and hit a quality chip and make the putt!
Next Steps
The game of golf comes down to ball striking and scrambling. Work on that stock shot above, check out the golf launch monitors and have fun practicing and getting better.
I know that the SkyTrak Launch Monitor has been an amazing addition to my game as I have now played over 800 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak and have been able to reduce my average golf score from the mid to high 70s to the low to mid 70s. The consistency has improved as well as the early rounds each season.
I also have some posts to help with the short game:
Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better
What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:
1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor. Here are some options:
Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:
2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed. Here are some options:
Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:
3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier. Here is a series on breaking through:
We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.
- How to Break 100
- How to Break 90
- How to Break 80
- How to Break 70
4 – Practice Frequently
Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system? It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:
Final Thoughts!